Stories
Our Holiday History Boutique is Open
Views: 2,434 The Mr Local History Holiday Boutique is OPEN 24/7 and ready to spread history and cheer this holiday season. Give the gift of locally made limited edition keepsakes and collectibles to give or to decorate your home. Your… Read More »Our Holiday History Boutique is Open
The Blessing of the Hounds – A Countryside Tradition
Views: 2,703 An annual tradition for the Essex Fox Hounds of Peapack, New Jersey Blessing of the Hounds Back in 2007, before there was a Mr. Local History, there was just a local looking for fun historic events to go… Read More »The Blessing of the Hounds – A Countryside Tradition
Peapack Ski Tow and Ski Areas Lost in New Jersey
Views: 6,448 The Peapack Ski Tow was One of the First Ski Businesses in New Jersey At one time, New Jerseyans had their pick of a dozen or so smaller hills where beginners could get a feel for the sport… Read More »Peapack Ski Tow and Ski Areas Lost in New Jersey
The Southard Family of Basking Ridge and A Historic Finding
Views: 3,747 RETROSPECTIVE:MLHP often releases retrospectives, which are stories about our research that may change as new research is uncovered. Our search now takes us to the Princeton University archives. We are still looking at where Abraham Southard settled from around… Read More »The Southard Family of Basking Ridge and A Historic Finding
Thanksgiving Meet – Horses, Hounds and Foxes Before Turkey – A Countryside Tradition
Views: 5,689 President George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, the last Thursday of November that year, to be a “day of public thanksgiving.” What is known as the “Gentry”, in New Jersey they held fox hunts on Thanksgiving Day. Fox… Read More »Thanksgiving Meet – Horses, Hounds and Foxes Before Turkey – A Countryside Tradition
Resolution Needed for the Bernards Township Flag
Views: 1,297 For over 60 years Bernards Township has had an official flag. The four colored rectangles recognized the four hamlets inside Bernards Township. In the 80s, a vote was made in West Millington to join the nearby Basking Ridge… Read More »Resolution Needed for the Bernards Township Flag
General Washington’s Two Favorite Lookout Points
Views: 1,822 During the Middlebrook Encampment periods during the Revolutionary War, George Washington strategically utilized the Watchung Mountain Range for both his soldiers and his own advantage. The mountains provided a perfect view of the surrounding areas where the British… Read More »General Washington’s Two Favorite Lookout Points
Origins of Cold as Balls and Cold as a Witch’s Teet
The phrase “cold as balls” reportedly comes from the contraction of metal on ship’s cannons, causing the iron balls to fall. The expression “cold as a witch’s tit” originated from the belief that witches, portrayed as cold-blooded in the 1600s, had an ‘unholy’ body part feeding familiars or the devil.
John Morton – General Washington’s Rebel Banker Hid in Basking Ridge
Views: 2,216 John Morton was a Colonel in the Continental Army. Still, he gave up his commission in 1761 to become a highly successful merchant, specializing in the trade of flax back home to his native Ulster in Northern Ireland… Read More »John Morton – General Washington’s Rebel Banker Hid in Basking Ridge